about

Emily Sheehan is an award winning playwright, director and teaching artist. Emily completed her Masters in Playwriting at the Victoria College of Arts (VCA) in 2015 where she was awarded a creative scholarship, and her Bachelor of Arts (Acting) in 2011.

Her first play Hell's Canyon won the 2015 Rodney Seaborn Award, was shortlisted for the 2016 Patrick White Award, and was a showcased play in Playwriting Australia’s 2016 National Play Festival at The Malthouse Theatre. In 2018 Hell's Canyon was presented at Old 505 Theatre in Sydney and La Mama Theatre in Melbourne, directed by Katie Cawthorne. Hell's Canyon is published by Currency Press.

Her second play, Daisy Moon Was Born This Way, was commissioned by The Joan for their main season in 2017. Her third play, versions of us, was commissioned by Canberra Youth Theatre and performed at the Ralph Wilson Theatre in 2017.

Emily has worked as a script assessor for Playwriting Australia, and as a dramaturgy intern with Melbourne Theatre Company. In 2014, Emily undertook a six-month traineeship in script assessment and new play development with Playwriting Australia.

Emily is co-directing Faster at Canberra Youth Theatre in 2018, a new work devised with the teenage cast.

As a teaching artist, Emily has worked with companies including Australian Theatre for Young People, Canberra Youth Theatre, Parramatta Riverside Theatre, Hothouse Theatre Company, Perform Educational Musicals and The Reach Foundation.